Coast Guard officer caught stealing fuel

Kareem Smith

Either greed or the rising cost of fuel has resulted in the theft of gasoline from the Belize National Coast Guard. It wasn’t a burglar prowling inside the compound outside, but members of the Coast Guard have been implicated in both incidents. Sources allege that twenty-seven year old Kareem Smith, a cadet, was seen stealing fuels on the compound by other Coast Guard officers who have assisted the police in their investigation.  Smith was attached to the engineering department at the Williamson compound where the incident occurred sometime over the weekend.  Smith was charged today with theft of fifty gallons of fuel and damage to property to the boat’s fuel hose.  Smith who was unrepresented in court today pleaded not guilty to all the charges and bail was offered to him in the sum of three thousand dollars plus one surety which he met shortly around twelve noon.  Smith is due in court on April twenty first.  After the first theft report was made about Smith, a second report was also lodged at the Ladyville Police Station which led police this week to arrest three other employees of the Belize national Coastguard.  While the exact cost of the fuel is not certain, it is believed to be valued at over four thousand three hundred dollars.  Charges have not been made against the three men who were detained and they were released on Thursday morning.